As a privately practicing equine veterinarian, Dr. Phillip Kapraun focuses largely on the treatment of lameness in performance horses. Dr. Phillip Kapraun is a driving force behind the standardization of osteochondrosis dessicans (OCD) detection and removal in yearling Standardbred horses.
Osteochondrosis dessicans, or OCD, is a common orthopedic condition that affects up to 10 percent of Quarter horses, 35 percent of Morgans and 60 percent of Standardbreds. It is a developmental disorder (DOD or developmental orthopedic disorder) that causes the irregular development of bone and cartilage in the joints. OCD seems to have 3 possible causes: genetic, nutrition of the mare during pregnancy, and trauma. It appears that horses are born with OCDs. OCDs can be responsible for lameness in the horse. Standardbred trainers of horses with unremoved OCDs often complain that their horse "makes breaks." OCDs prevent a horse from achieving its full potential.
In the majority of cases, effective and lasting treatment involves surgery to remove the abnormal bone and cartilage tissues. Contemporary best practices suggest the use of arthroscopy, which allows for the OCD removal using only 2 small incisions, minimizing trauma to the joint and minimizing recovery time. Standardbreds typically receive one month of stall rest after OCD arthroscopic surgery followed by one month of slow jogging on the track before returning to work.
